Sad news as actor and friend of the saga Treat Williams passed away earlier today in a motorcycle accident. Williams, a friend of Carrie Fisher, famously visited the set of The Empire Strikes Back in 1979, the year he starred in Steven Spielberg’s 1941 and during a fertile period of his career where he cemented his popularity, a career which continued for almost have a century.
Treat Williams, the versatile and prolific actor best known for playing Dr. Andy Brown on Greg Berlanti’s Everwood during a nearly half-century career, died this afternoon. Williams was killed in a motorcycle accident in Dorset, VT. He was 71.
The actor’s many other big-screen credits include Steven Spielberg’s 1941 (1979), Sidney Lumet’s Prince of the City (1981), Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in America (1984), Dead Heat (1988), Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead (1995) and Deep Rising (1998).
His family released this statement on his passing.
A Statement on the Passing of Treat Williams
It is with great sadness that we report that our beloved Treat Williams has passed away tonight in Dorset, Vermont after a fatal motorcycle accident. As you can imagine, we are shocked and greatly bereaved at this time.
Treat was full of love for his family, for his life and for his craft, and was truly at the top of his game in all of it. It is all so shocking right now, but please know that Treat was dearly and deeply loved and respected by his family and everyone who knew him.
We are beyond devastated and ask that you respect our privacy as we deal with our grief. To all his fans, please know that Treat appreciated all of you and please continue to keep him in your hearts and prayers.
The Williams Family
Williams was a great pal of Carrie Fisher, and speaking with TheForce.Net back in 2004, John Morton discussed how Williams came to be an extra in The Empire Strikes Back.
“Well, Treat Williams decided he was going to come and hang out on the set, which he did, and he appeared in those ice planet scenes as one of the lieutenants or officers in the Rebel forces. And I’m sure that there is no credit for him at all and he didn’t have a character or anything, but he just said, ‘Hey, this looks like a lotta fun and I’d kinda like to be a part of it, mind if I take a role of an extra?’ Everybody said, ‘Yeah!’
So here you have this Hollywood star who just decided, for probably no salary, just to hang out for a few scenes and was quite happy with the role of an extra in Empire Strikes Back. And that was kinda the way it was.”
To Treat’s family, friends, colleagues and fans we pass on our sincere condolences.
